JOHN CLARKE: Is it finished? I thought we were in the middle of it. I mean, that's why I've chosen it as my - I mean, isn't it the best thing we've got going for us?

BRYAN DAWE: Well that's the question, Morris.

JOHN CLARKE: Oh. Well, no, it's not over.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Who recently said it was finished?

JOHN CLARKE: Martin Ferguson.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And what was his position at the time?

JOHN CLARKE: He was sitting down. He was talking on the radio.

BRYAN DAWE: No.

JOHN CLARKE: Actually, can I correct that answer? He may have been standing up. It could have been in the Parliament.

BRYAN DAWE: No, I meant what position in the Government was Mr Ferguson at the time?

JOHN CLARKE: Oh, I see. Well, on the assumption that he doesn't know what he was talking about, he's the Resources Minister.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And who disagreed with him?

JOHN CLARKE: Everybody did. It was Martin Ferguson.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. But why in particular did they disagree with him?

JOHN CLARKE: Well the Opposition disagreed with him because they need the mining boom to stay in place because their argument is that it's gonna be destroyed by the policies of the Government so they need it to keep going ...

BRYAN DAWE: So it can be destroyed. Sure.

JOHN CLARKE: So it can be destroyed. And the Government need it stay there because if you take the mining sector out of the Australian economy, you've gotta put the current account on a drip.